1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to the field of garments designed to protect a portion of the clothes of the wearer from tears, wear, dirt, or stains. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a protective cuff guard that may be detachably affixed to the hem of the pants of the wearer, thereby protecting the hem of the pants.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Detachable pant cuff attachments designed to allow easy alteration of the length of the pants leg are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,001 describes a variable length trousers construction in which a separate cuff portion is detachably secured to the bottom of the pants leg, allowing adjustment of the length as desired by varying the length of a folded portion of the cuff. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,379 describes a cuff arrangement, attached to the pants leg by Velcro pads, buttons, or hooks and eyes, having a portion that may be lowered over the pants hem to lengthen the pants leg. U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,829 describes a detachable cuff, attached to the wearer's pants by snaps, designed to save the wearer the difficulty of folding a neat, uniform cuff in the bottom of the pants leg itself.
Though such detachable-cuff systems may be used to mask wear-and-tear that has occurred at the hem of a pair of pants, they are not designed to protect the pants from wear-and-tear damage in the first instance. Moreover, the attachment systems they disclose require some modification to the pants themselves, such as the attachment of Velcro pads, the addition of buttons or the cutting of button-holes, or the insertion of snaps.
Casual-style pants are often worn long, sometimes down to the bottom of the wearer's shoes. They are therefore susceptible to damage or soiling from contact with the ground at the wearer's feet. In wet weather, the dyes from casual pants can run, staining light-colored shoes or sneakers. Even for dress pants that are not often worn as long are vulnerable to dirt and moisture during inclement weather. Therefore there is a need in the art for a protective cuff guard that can protect the pants from wear-and-tear, rain or mud, dirt, or staining, which is also attachable and removable at the desire of the wearer, quickly and with little effort.